Show l r i sit t PUBLIC PRAYING FRAYING lh a tort of fad with a good many p- p ministers of the V present themselves in the pulpit o 1 tile the ite Sabbath to offer r up special en fur for or the reclamation of some lome Individual t who is supposed s pursuing a mistaken course or lilt backsliding a mem- mem ilif wb has bu been guilty of ot immoral et A natural inference is II that r thus bus prayed for tor is at once un- un un-by un by the congregation to ber beor be I r or der derelict lIot in some moral par par- J Jr involving in this implication has hasken ken 80 into court at Los Angeles Angelel fibel suit luit for lor Bev Rev J Jy heJl is pa pastor of ot the I Methodist Episcopal church 4 and d has ba doing a good deal I g ot of this kind It appears r n the to pu public bUc library there is is ie a tr ip 6 work ork by the im- im im r of or which bad had escaped atton of ot the examining c corn corn EC m- m at which fact the pastor acer ascer- s tf Mies Tess Tela L Kelso is 1 librari i and aDd holds B a prominent place in nil 81 circles On 00 Sunday Bunday thet Mr Campbell prayed be- be be congregation using the tol- tol fol-f fol language O 0 Lord vouchsafe ng grace to the librarian of ot the Los An Angeles eles city library and cleanse I her ber of ot all sin and make her a woman worthy of her ber office Of course Miss Kelso did not like that for tor everybody understood that she was accused by the pastor of being a sinful woman and unworthy Of the place she held unless by saving grace she was raised to a better moral condition She was not a member of Mr Campbells Campbell's church was not Dot a French scholar and anti could not read the book in question to ascertain the nature ot of its contents and was not empowered to exercise any auy censorship over the books admitted to the library Further I the minister was notified the Friday previous to the occasion referred to that no blame could be attached to Miss Kelso in the premises yet in the lace face of his knowledge of ot the facts be he said he be had bad resolved to deliver his prayer and did so Upon the showing made by bythe bythe bythe the ministers minister's own statement it would seem that the lady has bas good cause caUle for proceeding against him bim He admitted her ber innocence of responsibility ity for tor any wrong that may have ex- ex existed ex existed isted and yet persisted ia io presenting her before a II public meeting in the attitude of a sinful woman so 80 far tar re re- re removed removed moved from a proper moral standing that she Ibe needed special public prayers in her ber behalf Not only was his action in this regard and libelous but it was an act of ot sacrilege in presuming to present before the Almighty that which on its Us face was a false statement The whole business of dealing that way with cases of the kind referred to even where parties are guilty of the accusation made malie is ao so outrage upon refinement and decency and one In which no person perl on inspired by a Chris Chris- Christian Christian tian spirit will engage Public prayers may refer reter with propriety to matters that belong to the public and to the special interests ts of ot the congregation generally in the way of thanksgiving and pleadings for fur Divine favor tavor but when they are made the vehicle of slanderous accusations or of ot calling attention to nauseating and repulsive crimes crime which no true Christian desires to dwell upon in bl his bis worship they are area area area a sacrilege and nd a mockery Praying should be decent in its expressions and breathe hope bope faith charity and reverence in all its utterances |